Chuck : The Lastish Man
by jaytoyz
Summary: A 'mis-guided' scientist unleashes a 'killer' intersect program that puts a serious 'dent' in the male population. Of course Chuck survives...the question will be...who else? and what happens after...oh yeah...Shaw will get killed. will I carry on? up2you
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Had this stray thought this afternoon and it wouldn't let me go...wierd huh?...just had to put it down. Of course that's were i got the title...not sure what I've got here...if anything...any thought, musings, objections, suggestions...do you think this might have legs?...drop a review and let me know...I'll answer any(well just about any) questions... JT

Hey Jim...get better!

Don't own Chuck or anything else of value...

No extensive rambling today...tired from all that one fingered typing...seriously...five hours...start to finish(?)...please review.

Chuck : The Last(ish) Man

Wednesday-The DAY-

General Diane Beckman looked worried…and if she was honest with herself, worried didn't even begin to cover her level of concern. A woman claiming to be one of five 'Elders' of an organization that called themselves 'The Ring' had turned herself into the NSA, bringing with her a story that seemed unbelievably ludicrous

And the only reason the story had landed on her desk was because of the word, Intersect, which the woman claimed was the basis of the farfetched tale.

According to the woman, one of the 'Ring's' scientists had been leading their research into Intersect technology and had created a program that she claimed would allow them to 'enhance' all of their operatives. The Elders had bought into her promises and had 'volunteered' fifty of their best operatives to be a part of her experiment. When all fifty of the operatives had died from massive brain hemorrhages, the lead scientist found herself on the outs with the other four Elders.

The woman claimed that she had tried to support the scientist but that the other four Elders had overruled her, putting a termination order out on the scientist. That had been almost a month ago and the scientist promptly went off grid, leaving no trace of herself or her work. Two days ago the woman had been contacted by the scientist. The conversation had started out strangely and then had gotten very scary. The scientist, a Dr. Rena Stanhope, claimed that she had located the problem within her original experiment and fixed it. She then added that she was going to take her revenge on the four Elders and all of the other men in the world who had, in her words, continued a 'wrong' that had been going on since the dawn of time. The scientist then spent the next ten minutes rambling on about 'man's sins against womankind' and her plans to right this ages old wrong. She claimed to have gathered together a large group of like minded scientists, all of them women, who would be helping her implement her plan. The Elder had listened raptly until Dr. Stanhope explained that she was going to 'thin the herd' by broadcasting her 'update' to the entire world.

"_And after the broadcast, 99.99% of the male population of the world will no longer be in a position to 'oppress' women" _she remembered the scientist boasting. At that point, she decided that Dr. Rena Stanhope was batshit crazy.

"You can't possibly be serious" she had said. "I mean really, How could you possibly make all of the men on the earth watch your broadcast?" she had added, not worried, just curious to here more of the mad woman's claims.

"Of course we can't get all of the men on the planet to take the upload…that would be impossible. However, we've already loaded the program and with the help of my 'partners', we're going to 'hi-jack', for a little while, all of the major satellites that transmit 95% of the world's television programming. On Friday night, at 8:00 PM, Eastern time, we'll begin broadcasting our update. Twice an hour, until midnight…Western time…we'll broadcast our 'message of hope'…for all the world to see."

"You can't be serious…what about all of the women and children who will be watching…won't they all be killed as well…if this program of yours does what you say it will?" the Elder remembers asking.

"No…of course not…that would be crazy. My program is so perfectly written that it will only affect males above the puberty threshold…and not all men will be susceptible to the programming. We wouldn't want to kill off every man…the human race just wouldn't survive."

"Oh…that makes it better then…" the Elder had said before laughing out loud, "…and then what?" she'd asked, the condescension obvious in her tone.

"Then?...Then we'll begin reforming all the governments of the world…under the guidance of intelligent, insightful women. The surviving male population will be 'watched' over to make sure that they are safe and can't do any harm to our new world."

"And you're saying that this event will happen this Friday night? Why call me?" the Elder had asked…begin to have a faint feeling of dread. 'This woman's original program had killed fifty volunteers' she had said to herself as she waited for the answer to her question.

"That is correct…Friday night the new world begins. The reason I called you is because you supported me when the other four Elders turned their backs on my years of service and dedication to their cause. Your support lead me to believe that you would be of great use to us in the coming times. I know it's a lot to process so please, take tonight to think about it…I'll call you tomorrow for your answer."

As soon as the phone call had ended, the Elder began making some phone calls of her own. The first four calls were to the other Elders and each call resulted in disbelief and an utter lack of concern. One man had even laughed and asked her if she had been drinking before hanging up. The fifth call she made was to her connection in the NSA who had promised to pass her offer of surrender along to her superiors. After finishing the call, she poured herself a stiff drink and settled back into her easy chair, preparing herself for a long night. She remembered being sure that she wouldn't get any sleep and promising herself that on Wednesday, she'd find some way to talk to somebody, much higher up the food chain at the NSA.

-00-00—0-000—0

General Diane Beckman was seated at her desk, looking down at the report in her hand. Looking up, she made eye contact with the 'Elder' seated in front of her. "Do you honestly expect me to believe any of this?" she asked as she tossed the report onto her desk top.

"General…I honestly don't know what to believe…but Dr. Stanhope may very well be capable of pulling this off…maybe not on the 'grand' scale she is boasting of…but it worried me enough to get me to come to you. I put myself in your hands after admitting to you that I was one of the leaders of an organization that is working against the government of the United States of America. I'm admitting to treason…that should give you some idea of just how serious I'm taking her 'story'.

"Your statement says that this 'incident' will be taking place Friday night?"

"Yes…that is what Dr. Stanhope said."

"I'm sure that you realize that you will be staying here with us for the rest of your life…here for the next few days and then somewhere …less pleasant."

"Of course…I just hope that if this information helps, in any way at all, you'll remember that I brought it too you voluntarily?"

The general paused before answering. "That fact will be noted. Now, you'll be accompanying the guards who will be in here shortly. They will be taking you to a detention cell" she said as she lifted her phone to her ear. "Elizabeth…please send in my guards…there is someone here who needs an escort. Also, please contact Major Casey and Agent Walker…inform them that I need to speak to their team as soon as possible." Placing the phone back in it's cradle, Diane Beckman picked the report back up and started at the first page. 'I really hope Bartowski can tell me that this report is bullshit…' she said to herself as she waited for her aide to set up the video conference with Team Intersect.

-00—0—00—0-0—0—

Chuck and Sarah were seated at the table in front of the monitor while Casey was standing behind them…a little off to the side. Chuck had just given Sarah a pez from his Yoda pez dispenser and was getting ready to offer one to Casey when the General suddenly appeared and cleared her throat.

"Good afternoon boys and girl…if you're done handing out candy, Mr. Bartowski, maybe we can get this meeting underway. I called this meeting with the hope that the Intersect can clear up a disturbing item that has been brought to my attention." Holding up her hand with the report in it, she continued, "we may have an incredibly huge problem. If there is any truth to this report…and this threat is real…even if only 1% of the threat materializes…the world will be changed forever."

Chuck , Sarah and Casey exchanged bewildered glances…not sure what was going on. They all were pretty sure that Beckman didn't have a sense of humor…at least not when it came to work. Casey was the first to put voice to what they all were thinking. "General…ma'am…what exactly is going on?"

" Major…team…a woman by the name of Beatrice Cooksey has turned herself into us…"

"General" Chuck interrupted, "…that woman has strong ties to Fulcrum."

"Yes, Mr. Bartowski…she claims to be one of five 'Elders' who oversee an organization who are calling themselves, 'The Ring'. The General fell silent when she noticed Chuck having a second flash in as many minutes. She planned to wait for the Intersect to recover before continuing and almost thirty seconds passed before Chuck groaned and allowed his head to drop into his hands. "Mr. Bartowski?" the General asked, a small amount of concern evident in her voice.

"Uh…sorry General…that one hurt…a lot!" Chuck said as he began massaging his temples. "You were saying?"

"Yes…this woman claims that a scientist who worked for The Ring, doing Intersect related research has developed a program that she claims will kill 99.99% of all men who watch it. She also claims to have put together a teams of fellow scientists and that they have 'hi-jacked' 95% of all of the satellites that broadcast television programming. This report in my hand says that this group plans to download this program beginning at 8:00 PM Eastern Standard time, this Friday night."

"General…" Chuck asked, "…do you have this scientist's name?"

"Dr. Rena Stanhope." The General answered.

Chuck screamed in pain as soon as the flash began. Sarah immediately slid closer to him and watched as his eyes rolled back in his head before he toppled to the side, away from her position. Like a puppet who's strings had been cut, Chuck landed on the floor with a thump. Sarah was out of her chair and had Chuck's head cradled in her lap before Casey could even move.

"Chuck?.." Sarah said with concern and urgency in her voice. "Chuck…please…" she pleaded, hoping for some response as she gently brushed the curls from his forehead. Leaning her head down, she put an ear to his chest…feeling a huge sense of relief upon hearing his steady heartbeat.

"Major Casey…Agent Walker…how is the asset?"

Sarah's head shot up and she glared at the monitor. "His name is Chuck!" she almost yelled.

"Agent…watch your tone. I'm very aware of his name…now, how is he?"

While Sarah and the General exchanged glares, Casey watched as Chuck's eyes started to flutter and then slowly open.

"Ow…that fucking hurt!" Chuck mumbled as he struggled to sit up.

"What was that, Mr. Bartowski?" the general asked, one eyebrow sitting much higher than the other.

"Uh…ma'am…uh…i…uh…said 'that really hurt', ma'am."

"Of course that's what you said" the general replied with slight smile. "…is there something you wish too add?"

"General" Chuck started, sounding very worried, "…if this Dr. Stanhope is claiming that she can kill with her program, we really need to take her very seriously. Everything in the Intersect suggests that she has the intelligence to do what she claims. She worked on the original Intersect team and Orion removed her from the project because he thought she was unstable."

"Is there anything else that might help us, Mr. Bartowski?"

"Sorry General, no. Everything else contained in that flash was technical…and there was a lot of that…man, does my head hurt! I'm sorry but there wasn't anything that might lead us to her."

"Alright team, I'll speak with Miss Cooksey again and see if she can be of any help. In the meantime Mr. Bartowski, do you have any idea of how they could 'hi-jack' all of those satellites?"

"General…I honestly don't have a clue. Once this headache subsides a little, I'll start doing some research. If I can figure anything out, I promise that you will be the first person I call."

Major Casey…Agent Walker…please help Mr. Bartowski in anyway that you can" and with that the video conference ended.

"C'mon Chuck" Sarah said as she helped him to his feet, "…let's get you some aspirin and if you'd like, I'll give you a back rub…if you think that might help."

Letting himself be pulled to his feet, he offered a smile, "Well, it certainly couldn't hurt" he said as he looked into her eyes.

Casey just grunted somewhere behind them.

-00—00-0-0—00-0-

Dr. Rena Stanhope looked down at her watch, noting that it was two minutes until eight o'clock. Looking across the room to the other members of her team, she smiled. "It's time to launch the program" she said to no one in particular.

"I thought we were going to launch on Friday?" one woman asked.

"We were but I've decided to accelerate our time table. Everything is ready so we're going two days early. The sooner we start fixing this mess, the better. Alright ladies…here we go…five…four…three…two…one." And with a simple key stroke, Dr. Rena Stanhope changed the course of human history!

TO BE CONTINUED?

That's entirely up to y'all. Please review...good or bad...they all help. JT


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: First, let me get something out of the way...A brave and courageous soul left a review for the latest chapter of Swimmer that expressed the reviewer's hatred for my rambling A/N:'s...he...or she...then pointed out that my A/N:'s left them 'befuddled'...and worst of all...they, MY A/N:'s, weren't funny. A truly brave stance to take, ture or not, except, this reviewer hid behind the 'name'...anon. That's right, someone put on their big boy(or girl) pants, ripped me a new one for having the gall to, in MY OWN A/N:'s, write rambling, non-funny groupings of letters(some formed words of more than one syllable) that led to their befuddlement...and for that, I am very sorry. I hope that 'anon' will take the time to send me a list of funny things to say or,even easier, send me some of your favorite Bazooka Joes wrappers. I will try and not lose any sleep over 'anon's' await their next brilliant critique of...and here's the important part again...**MY A/N:'s**...for those of you that agree, prehaps you could help 'anon' learn the art of 'skipping' the author's b.s. and going right to the author's...wait a minute...all my shit is rambling...some of it just reads a little better than the rest. Sorry 'anon', I thought I had a way out for you but...no such luck...take it or leave it...but if you review(and I have always encouraged that)please leave a name...just so I know who to thank.

Wow...I feel better...sorta...maybe just the meds...nah, clean and semi-sober...that means I must actually feel better...cool. So, this story has been sitting awhile and I've been sorta busy, doing writery stuff, these last few days and I just had to try another chapter. Your reviews will of course determine this particular story's fate...except for you 'anon'...no not you, the other 'anon'...the one that looks befuddled...yeah, you...your 'anon' vote doesn't count...neener, neener...pfffftttt. Everyone else, please let me know what you think. JT

Oh yeah, as a great man once said, sorta...if you're looking for puppies and rainbows...and i can't believe that I'm saying this...NOT HERE!

Chuck : The Last(ish) Man Chapter 2

Chuck Bartowski sat at his desk which was located in the lowest level of Castle. Actually, if he was honest with himself, the 'desk' wasn't his and it wasn't much of a desk…merely a rectangular piece of stainless steel that was bolted to the block wall he was currently staring at. Shaking his head, he tried to remember what he'd been working on before this latest 'moment', as he'd come to refer to the periods of time when he'd 'zone out'. It wasn't as if he was lost in thought…if anything, and if he was being honest with himself, he was lost in trying to not think…about, well, anything.

It had been twenty-six days since the Stanhope virus, as it had come to be called, had been unleashed on an unsuspecting world. The government had been aware of the threat and had been preparing for the 'attack'…but everyone, in the know, had been planning for an attack that came two days earlier than expected.

General Diane Beckman had tried her best to warn anyone whose position of authority could've helped, if only a little, prepare an ill-equipped world for the unbelievable disaster that loomed. The small amount of planning turned out too be far too little and far, far too late. When Dr. Rena Stanhope had triggered the launch of her 'virus', Chuck had been curled up on his sofa, sleeping fitfully with his head in Sarah's lap. She had finally convinced him to take a short break, to get out of Castle where he and his father had spent the last seventy-two hours, driving themselves past the point of total exhaustion as they struggled to figure out someway to nullify the threat.

Orion had appeared just a couple of hours after the general had first conferenced with the team. Chuck had looked up from his computer to find his father standing next to him, all of Castle's electronic safeguards having done nothing to prevent him from entering the base. After standing to give his dad an awkward hug, he'd stepped aside so his father could take his place at the keyboard. Moments later, General Diane Beckman was staring out at them from the monitor that hung on the wall, no sign of surprise at finding herself face to face with Orion.

"How bad is it, Diane?"

"Stephen…I don't know. If the intersect is to be believed, the threat is a very real possibility."

"Stanhope, right?"

"Yes…and I don't want to hear 'I told you so'."

"Diane…if Charles and I can figure out how to stop it…then, maybe, I'll say it. If we can't…well, at that point, it just won't matter. Have you started getting warnings in place…you haven't, have you?" he asked, no anger or fear in his voice, just weary resignation.

"Stephen…everyone I talk to falls into two categories…concerned but with no real power to help or, lots of power but unable to believe that some 'research skirt' could be a real threat. I've got meetings lined up for days but I'm afraid…really afraid, that we're dropping the ball here…and it's one ball that we can't afford to drop. Do you believe that you and Bar…sorry, Steven, force of habit…Chuck…can the two of you help?" she asked, the concern in her voice mirrored by the look on her face.

Orion reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a pair of sunglasses, holding them in his hand as he reached down beside him and pulled a laptop up from the floor beside him. Chuck's eyes seemed to shift back and forth between the two objects, knowing what they looked like but afraid to ask if he was correct. Before he could force himself to ask, the General beat him to the punch.

"Stephen…are those what I think they are?"

"That depends, Diane. What do you think they are?"

"Well…one of your laptops and…a pair of update glasses for the Intersect?…You led me to believe that you had abandoned your Intersect research…"

"Actually, Diane…I never said anything about abandoning my research into the Intersect. I just moved beyond the research I provided to you…way beyond, and you assumed that you had all that you needed. You allowed your scientists to piddle around with my designs, fooling themselves into believing that they had made improvements on my original research…they hadn't. Charles is lucky that he wasn't killed by that download that Larkin sent him…it would've killed anyone with a smaller visual image retention ability…but you already know that, don't you?"

Chuck was still reeling from the information that was being exchanged between his father and the General but the look on Beckman's face after his dad's last statement shocked him. He watched as the woman who had scared him since he'd first seen her face dropped her head slightly, looking embarrassed and…regretful?

"Yes, that is unfortunately true…"

"How many, Diane…how many did you kill before you decided to try and build a conventional Intersect? Ten?…Fifty?…"

"Sixty-three…" she whispered. "…we lost sixty-three good agents…who volunteered…"

"Volunteered?…Diane, you and I both know that your agents volunteered because you told them to…maybe not in so many words, but the result was the same, wasn't it?" he asked, an edge in his voice that Chuck didn't think he'd ever heard before. "WASN'T IT?"

"Stephen…if you believe that I don't regret their loss…then you don't know me at all"

"That's the problem, Diane…I do know you…I know that you regret their loss…almost as much as you regret the fact that it didn't work! Don't say anything. Charles and I are going to try and find some solution to this mess. Don't bother us…and keep your science 'monkeys' away from us as well. If one of them somehow performs a miracle and figures out something that can help…let me know…otherwise…go away." Orion finished and reached out a finger to sever the video link.

"Dad…what was all that about?"

"Charles…we don't have time for a long drawn out tale…here goes…I walked away from the Intersect when I realized that the visual retention rate needed was so high. I told Diane it wouldn't work and to shelve it…she didn't. She let her monkeys loose and sixty-three people paid the price. I changed the direction of my research and never bothered telling anyone that I'd 'fixed' it. I didn't want my 'new' intersect used as a weapon. Bryce Larkin, believing he was helping somehow…destroyed the 'Intersect' and sent you the only copy of the 'monkey's' butchered information. I was surprised you weren't killed…like Diane's other victims…but your brain is unique. You lived. Now, I need you to put these on" he said, offering the pair of sunglasses to him. "These are the Intersect…the way it needs to be…safe. I hate to ask but this upload will give you everything you need to help me…and if we don't figure something out…"

"Yeah dad…I get the picture" he replied, reaching out and taking the glasses his dad held out to him. Just as he was about to slide them on a new voice sounded from behind him.

"Chuck…are you sure?" Sarah Walker asked in a quiet voice.

Chuck spun around, surprised to find her standing behind him. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough. It's up to you. Are. You. Sure?"

Chuck took two steps toward the woman he loved more than he thought possible. Gently placing his hands on either side of Sarah's face, he tilted her head up so he could look into her eyes. "I have to…there is no other option. I love you…but if I don't do this…I'll never feel worthy of you. Please, understand…I have to if we're going to have any chance of stopping this…please" he finished by placing a gentle and loving kiss on her lips. Stepping back, he looked at his dad. "So, let's do this"

"Sit here, Charles" his dad had said, motioning to the chair he'd just vacated. "This should go easier than any of the previous ones but a little disorientation is likely…wouldn't want you to fall down" Orion stepped back and watched as his son pulled the 'glasses' over his eyes.

The download went flawlessly and afterwards he and his dad attacked the problem that was threatening the whole world. They worked side by side…Orion on his laptop and Chuck using Castle's computers. While they worked, Sarah and Casey did their own research…hoping, if nothing else, they could find the location where Dr. Stanhope was hiding. As the hours stretched, Sarah spent more time watching Chuck…watching as the lack of sleep slowly took it's toll on him. Orion had taken a couple of small breaks but Chuck just kept working. She was sure that somehow, the new Intersect was helping him stay awake but after nearly seventy-two hours, she insisted that Chuck take a break. His father agreed, even encouraging him to go home for a few hours …long enough to take a shower and get a few hours sleep. After Sarah almost threatened him, he allowed the blonde force of nature to drag him home. Once there, she insisted on taking a shower with him, saying she didn't want him falling asleep and drowning. He smiled, too tired to fight and he didn't even remember anything until later.

He would never forget waking up with his head in Sarah's lap. Still half asleep, he looked up at his blonde angel and saw the tears on her face, the cel phone at her ear.

"Sarah…what is it? What's wrong" he asked, still a little out of it.

Turning her head so she could look into his eyes, she pulled the phone away from her ear. "That crazy bitch did it…she uploaded and released that fucking virus" Sarah said in a whisper.

"Sarah…how could I have slept until Friday?"

"You didn't, Chuck…it's Wednesday…she released it early…"

"Wasn't dad able to do anything…I thought we were close…what is it…what aren't you telling me?"

"Chuck…that was Casey on the phone…the virus…it…it killed your dad…Orion's dead."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **It's been a while and I was a little afraid to come back to this story, not sure if I could…I'd really like your opinion on my success…or lack there of…in adding more to this story…yeah, yeah, yeah…another shameless round of begging for your time and thoughts in the form of reviews…got some more for the other scribbles headed your way soon…just wanted to see if I had anything else for this one…have to mention that I don't own Chuck, I don't make money doing this, I do this without the aid of a beta, my shoe size is thirteen, I have 'who let the dogs out' on my mp3 and instead of treating my body like a temple I've treated it like a tent(paraphrased from Jimmy Buffet)…guess which statement above is false…Hey Jim, thanks for the nudge. JT

**Chuck - The Last(ish) Man - Chapter 3**

_The Stanhope Virus blindsided mankind, showcasing the very worst…and the very best that human beings were capable of. The world continued to spin on, heedless of the terror that Dr. Lisa Stanhope had unleashed in her own horribly misguided attempt to save the planet. _

_I was part of the team that was struggling to prevent the release of the virus and I like to believe that if we'd had just a little more time, we could've prevented the tragedy but we didn't. I could spend all of my time dwelling on that fact but a special person refused to let me lose myself to such thoughts._

_It would be so easy to simply fall into the numbers, telling myself that my family was more fortunate than others, considering that 67.7 percent of the male population were lost within 24 hours of the virus's release. I just can't think of my father as a number and the woman who kept me going, refused to let me wallow, reminding me that everyone, even those who lived in third world countries where the fatality rate was much lower, had been touched by the tragedy in one way or another._

_I don't know if this blog will be read by many but I wanted it as a place to share anything that I think might help. It's been three months since Dr. Lisa Stanhope betrayed the world and through her misguided ideas, claimed the title of…_

"Chuck? Chuck? Where is that good looking husband of mine?" Sarah's voice echoed from the back hallway, causing the gangly young man to look up from his laptop. He slowly closed the cover while watching the doorway, smiling as he remembered the ceremony two days earlier when he and the beautiful blonde had exchanged their vows while a small gathering of family and friends watched. Diane Beckman had officiated, surprising everyone who noticed when a single tear had slipped down the older woman's cheek.

Pushing the computer away from him, he spun his chair just as Sarah Bartowski finished crossing the small room, lowering herself into his lap and throwing her arms around his neck while attaching her lips to his. Time seemed to stop and moments or minutes later, Chuck wasn't sure which, he felt Sarah climbing back out of his lap.

"Ellie sent me to find you because supper is ready" she announced, trying to pull Chuck to his feet and then smiling when the chair he was seated in simply rolled towards her. Walking backwards, Sarah laughed at the look on her husband's face as she towed him along, her hand gripping his tightly. The seamless, concrete floors of Castle offered no resistance to the small wheels and Chuck's chair rolled silently along as they headed towards to large conference room that had been converted into a dining area, the attached kitchen often put to use by the elder Bartowski in her un-official role as the team's nutritional guide.

"I see that you found 'Doctor' Bartowski" Ellie said as the walked out of the kitchen just as Sarah pulled Chuck into the dining area, smiling at her brother to take a sting from the way she pronounced doctor. Ever since Diane Beckman had begun addressing Chuck as Dr. Bartowski, explaining that the title sounded better when she introduced him during meeting, Ellie had taken every opportunity to tease her little brother about his honorary title.

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?" Chuck asked as Sarah moved behind him and pushed his chair up to the table before pulling another chair in next to him.

"Not anytime soon" his sister replied with a smile as she sat down across the table from the couple, placing a large pan of lasagna in the center of the table.

Chuck had promised himself that anything that brought a smile to the face of any of the women in his life was a good thing and he wouldn't do anything that would take away the source of those smiles. Recalling the first week after the 'incident', as people had come to refer to the launch of the Stanhope virus, he remembered the huge sense of despair and depression that seemed to grip everyone. Thinking back, he could picture the small group of people who'd braved the elements and had gathered for a memorial service for Stephen J. Bartoski. The entire world had been in shock, mass graves and massive funeral pyres providing shocking images from all around the planet as people struggled to avoid the specter of disease by gathering and disposing of the unbelievable number of bodies.

As the days of the 'new world' passed, countries fell, many dissolving in on themselves or being absorbed into neighboring countries. Within twenty-four hours of the attack, the Catholic Church stepped forward, attempting to declare themselves the ultimate voice for the reconstruction of the world but retreated with their tail between their legs when it was made public that Dr. Stanhope had been a Catholic who left a manifesto declaring that she believed the Church would be a great stabilizing force once it's patriarchal leadership was removed and women took the reins. The pope and the rest of the Church's remaining leaders then shot themselves in the foot when Pope JT the second declared that women weren't strong enough, in both faith and wisdom, to lead anything, but that they would certainly be needed to help re-populate the planet. After the anti-Catholic furor died down…and Pope JT the second was gelded by a group of militant, and very un-happy nuns, a surprising number of groups that had been unheard of before the incident suddenly appeared, offering to lead people on the right path to a new, wonderful world, each group seeming to be crazier than the group before it.

While one group after another tried to take a large leadership role, every country that had managed to maintain a semblance of order was undergoing it's own re-structuring with strong, intelligent women easing into leadership roles as the old government folded in on itself.

General Diane Beckman assumed a leadership role in a rapidly re-structured intelligence collective as the CIA, the NSA and the FBI were rolled into a single entity whose main objective was to make sure that the citizens of America didn't lose their way of life, no matter how badly it had been beaten and battered. Within ten days, Diane Beckman had assumed a large leadership role and had offered Chuck and Sarah a newly created position, running overwatch for the western half of the United States. The pair accepted after Chuck explained to the General that he would take the job, but only if he was given a free hand to create Team Bartowski. After explaining that the team would consist of he and Sarah, his sister and brother-in-law, with Casey and Morgan rounding out the small group who would be based in Burbank, using the pre-existing Castle as a center for operations, Diane Beckman grumbled a little before quickly accepting Chuck's conditions.

Thirty days after the incident, the U S was limping along, the consolidated powers that be doing their best to make sure that the remaining military had been put to work along side civilians in an effort to keep the nation's infrastructure from collapsing under the demands of a new world. Team Bartowski alongside others, doing their best to keep the electronic 'world' from shattering, leaving people with no way to communicate. Chuck had used parts of his father's research and created a new web that was 'under' and 'over' and threaded through the original world wide web. When he'd tried to explain to Diane Beckman what he'd created, she lost her bearings after five minutes and then ordered Chuck and Sarah to Denver to explain everything to the techs that she had working with her.

Chuck had been surprised about the location but one flash later, he understood why the new intelligence agency had taken over an old 'failsafe' bunker located in the Rocky Mountains. Two days later they'd arrived at the front gates and that was when his girlfriend started getting just a little possessive. After being subjected to a rather rigorous search that involved three of the female guards who seemed to enjoy having a good looking man fall into the clutches, however temporary they might be, Chuck and Sarah had been escorted to the General's office. Along the way, Agent Sarah Walker couldn't help noticing the frequent, lingering and lustful stares that her boyfriend was receiving…and she wasn't too happy about it. She knew that Chuck was good looking and he was now part of a minority but that didn't ease the jealous anger that coursed through her as more and more of the base's occupants seemed to find the back pockets of Chuck's jeans very interesting.

One of the harsh new realities was the fact that men were now a commodity in short supply. Almost every country had an open door policy when it came to men, often offering 'incentives' to any man who wanted to emigrate to that country. The old internet scam of 'Russian' brides had been replaced with an all too real, active 'trade' in men.

After the meeting, the General had asked that he and Sarah stay afterwards and, once alone, she'd casually mentioned that Team Bartowski would be looking into the growing problem of men being 'kidnapped' and then sold off. Chuck wanted to laugh and make a 'Morgan is finally worth something to the opposite sex' joke but the words died in his throat when he saw the look on Diane Beckman's face. He felt Sarah suddenly slide a little closer to his side as she seemed to look around her with a whole new set of eyes. After thanking the General for the news, Chuck still wanted to laugh until they were stopped once again at the front gate…by the same three guards who tried to search Chuck again…as he was leaving. Sarah literally growled and had her phone in one hand and a gun in the other, informing the guards that they should call General Beckman before they overstepped their authority. Of course the guards tried to laugh it off, saying it was all a joke but it sure didn't feel like one.

After the 'pat down', Chuck never went anywhere unescorted and after the General called to inform him of a very real threat to kidnap him, orchestrated by a powerful organization that was believed to be behind a rash of disappearances of men, Sarah insisted that Ellie outfit Chuck with a sub-dermal tracking device. When the two of them cornered Chuck with the demand, he wanted to laugh until Casey pulled a tranq gun on him. Of course, he insisted that Devon, Casey and even Morgan be outfitted with the same tracking devices and no one argued.

0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0

Almost sixty days after the incident, Chuck and his escort where ambushed, leaving two agents dead and Chuck with a massive headache after he was forced to flash on a self defense program and then subdue six women who seemed to be hell bent on kidnapping him. Casey later informed the 'team' that there appeared to be a leak in Beckman's new agency because the female mercs had been targeting Chuck specifically, using information they'd been fed from inside the General circle of trusted aides. The women could offer no information about the people behind the kidnapping attempt, knowing only that they appeared to be very well connected and that Chuck wasn't being targeted for ransom. Chuck wasn't sure what scared him more, the fact that there was at least one mole in the Generals organization or the fact that someone was going to great lengths to procure him.

Two nights later, while he and Sarah had been on a romantic date…with six armed guards following them but staying out of sight, he'd finally worked up the courage and asked Sarah Walker to marry him. She'd immediately said yes and even offered to find a justice of the peace and have the ceremony done that night. Chuck had smiled and finally managed to calm her down when he promised it wouldn't be a long engagement. Five days later, with General Diane Beckman doing the honors, Chuck and Sarah were married in front of a very small group of friends…and guards. The honeymoon had been interrupted when another group of female mercs tried again to kidnap Chuck, right under the watchful eyes of half a dozen highly trained guards who were under the eye of an increasingly paranoid John Casey.

When all of the captured women had been put into a line up, Chuck had flashed on three of them and Casey's greatest fears were realized. Dr. Lisa Stanhope had followers who were zealous in their pursuit of her twisted ideas and, after the big man had a 'conversation' with the women, Team Bartowski realized that things were going to be getting worse before they got better. Chuck was at the top of a list of men who this un-named group believed to be vital to the success of their plans…and seven of the ten names on the list had been grabbed during the last two weeks.

Refusing to allow Beckman to bring him in to protective custody, Chuck chose instead to continue to live his life as he had since the incident. He would spend the days going over whatever intel the General sent his way, informing her of any flashes. He would also spend part of the day digging deeper into the research his father had left unfinished, publishing anything of importance that would help people on his blog. He'd ignored the General's threats and after she'd taken the time to talk with him, had given her un-official blessing when he'd convinced her that he was only trying to help…with the understanding that she'd have veto power which she'd not had to use so far.

He's also been spending a lot of time with his sister, the two of them spending lots of time digging further into Orion's Intersect research, each hoping that what their father had started could lead to something that would be beneficial to the entire world.

Almost three month's after the incident, Chuck was finally obeying the orders of his doctor and he and his wife were going to take some time off. Knowing they had to be careful about where they chose to take their vacation, the couple decided to spend a few days at Stephen Bartowski's cabin, sure that it's remote location and their un-announced getaway would make it a perfect spot to spend some time just being a husband and wife.

The trip to the cabin had been uneventful and they spent the night in each other's arms, finally falling asleep to the sound of rainfall on the cabin's wooden roof. Sarah awoke the next morning with a roaring headache and the worst case of cotton mouth she could ever remember having. On her feet in an instant, she searched the cabin and then went to activate the emergency beacon in her watch. It took five minutes of looking before she found the remnants of the watch on the kitchen counter, along with a bloody knife and the tiny, sub-dermal tracking device that used to be in her husbands thigh.

Throwing open the front door, she almost barreled into John Casey who was making his way up the front steps, holding a bloody rag to his forehead with one hand, his favorite handgun in the other.

"Casey, someone's taken Chuck!" Sarah blurted out, "You need to acti…" she stopped speaking when her partner held up his wrist, showing her the broken remains of his watch that still hung from his wrist. "Where's the rest of the surveillance team, John?"

"Dead or unconscious. All of the emergency beacons have been destroyed. They didn't even bother disarming us. Sarah, it's going to be at least an hour before we can contact anyone."

"That doesn't matter John. Whoever planned this had help…from someone close to the team. We're going to find out who and after they tell me where my husband is, I'm going to put a bullet through their fucking head."

"And if it's more than one person" Casey asked, turning quickly when a noise behind him got his attention. He lowered his gun when he realized that it was a member of the surveillance team.

"Well, then I hope you'll be there to pick up any of my slack" Sarah answered before reaching up and taking the locket that hung around her neck and pushing in the small side latch before turning around and making her way back into the cabin. "John, that locket was an extra emergency beacon that only Chuck and I knew about…well, there was one other person who knew about it. If the rescue team isn't here inside of ten minutes, the first person you and I are going to have a little talk with is General Diane Beckman!" she announced over her shoulder before disappearing through the front door. "Coffee?" Agent Sarah Walker called out in a voice that John Casey had to admit sounded just a little scary.

**A/N2: **Yes, I would like your opinion on the tone of this chapter…please.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Hi, uh, been a while, hasn't it? Miss me? Well, I guess I haven't really been gone, just haven't been spending much time with this little one(he says, affectionately patting the little story on it's metaphorical head) but something start niggling at my noodle this afternoon and here it is…hope you like it. Don't own any of the Chuck TV series characters and I'm not making money from these scribbles. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this installment…just use that cute little review button thingie…still having fun so, thanks for the nudge, Jim. _**JT**_

**Chuck - The Last(ish) Man - Chapter 4**

John Casey kept a wary eye on his partner, Sarah Bartowski, as she paced back and forth , her boots beating a staccato beat on the bare concrete floor of their command bunker. It had been almost an hour since they'd been hit with the shocking news that Chuck had been taken by unknown people and almost fifty minutes since they both realized that the woman who'd held their trust had lied to them.

Sarah had been chomping at the bit to go after her husband and had been geared up and standing at the door when General Diane Beckman had called to inform them that she had a team already on site at the 'Stanhope Compound' and would be breaching it's defenses within the hour. Casey had been loading their vehicle, ready to follow the GPS co-ordinates that Chuck's sub-dermal tracker had been transmitting ever since Sarah had activated the device with the 'switch' in the locket that had hung around her neck since the day they'd been married. When the General had called and given them the co-ordinates where she was sure Chuck was being held, Sarah had done a quick search and comparison on her laptop and found that Beckman's 'positive' location for her husband was, in fact, nowhere near where he was currently located.

She'd pointed the discrepancy out to Casey and had been about to point it out to the General as well when the big man had told her to wait, going against years of loyalty and questioning the motives of his former boss.

Ever since the release of the 'virus', the command structure of the US military had been in a constant state of flux with one faction claiming control only to be removed from the position whenever a new amalgamation of power hungry individuals could convince enough people that they should be making all of the 'important' decisions. The General had never made a 'move' towards control and until forty minutes ago, John Casey would have backed anything that the woman suggested. The change in support was the direct result of Chuck Bartowski and his genius.

The transponder that was broadcasting Chuck's current location had been his own design and Casey had been impressed by the design and it's failsafe features were years beyond anything the NSA had ever used. The device was virtually undetectable and couldn't be removed without destroying the signal and, according to the laptop that he and Sarah had been staring at, Chuck Bartowski was nowhere near the 'Stanhope Compound'.

"What the hell is she doing, Casey?" Sarah asked, slamming her palm down onto the table his elbows were currently resting on.

"I…"

"Either she has no clue where my husband is and is using this as cover for attacking the 'Stanhopers' and their main base" she offered, using the term that people had been applying to anyone who thought that the Stanfield Virus was the best thing to ever happen to the world, "or she knows exactly where my husband is and is using this a cover for attacking the compound" she finished, staring into Casey's eyes, challenging him to either agree or disagree with her conclusions.

"Wal…Sarah, I don't know what you want me to say. I think you're right that she's using this an excuse to attack. Either way, you're right and I really hope that she doesn't know where he is and is just using this as an opportunity because if…"

"Because if she knows where my husband is, then she had something to do with his abduction and, if that's true, then she's looking at two possible outcomes. If I get my husband back, unharmed, I might let her slide with an ass beating but if Chuck is injured or, god forbid, killed, I'm going to put a bullet between her fucking eyes. I know you like the old bird but if you get in my way I'll…I…I'm not going to bother threatening you, John, because you know what I can do and if I don't have my husband here to keep me sane, lots of people are going to regret ever knowing me" she finished, her face rigid and frightening in it's promised threat.

"Let's go, Walker" he replied, getting to his feet and heading toward the door that lead to the parking garage, not needing to look back to know that the 'pit bull' had already grabbed the laptop from the table and was on his heels, the need for her husband radiating off of her in waves that even a blind person could see or, at the very least, feel.

By the time he had buckled himself into the driver's seat, Sarah had linked the laptop to the van's onboard computer, the display screen on the dash coming to life with a map that featured a flashing smiley face that indicated Chuck's current location.

"Damn nerdling" Casey grumbled under his breath, silently promising himself to give Morgan a kick in the ass when he got back from his latest scavenger hunt, the name he'd given to his weekly excursions out into the world for supplies. He still couldn't believe the bearded little gnome had survived the virus and, even more surprising, had become a vital part of 'Team Bartowski'.

No one had been more surprised than Casey when Morgan's aptitude for computers and inventions turned out to be even greater than his aptitude for slacking off and annoying NSA agents. It had been the little man's idea to avoid military looking vehicles, persuading everyone that plain gray vans that closely resembled the body removal vans would allow them a greater unhindered mobility. He and Chuck had also outfitted the vans with next generation software that allowed them access to what remained of the world wide web and 99% of the still functioning military satellites.

"You know, Casey, one of these days Morgan's going to stop bringing you back cigars and Ronald Reagan DVDs" Sarah teased, a small smile cracking through the determined grimace that had been on her face for almost an hour.

"And when that day comes, I'm gonna break my foot off in his ass" Casey shot back, hitting the button that caused the fake mountain face, that covered the tunnel that lead to their base, to open up once the automatic security check indicated no possible presence out side that might witness them driving out of the big hole in the side of the hill.

Chuck and Morgan had found the abandoned mine when they'd been looking for some remote property in the mountains west of LA and, with the help of the intersect and an unlimited amount of capital, they'd built the underground compound that Casey still refused to call the 'Nerdcave', a name that almost everyone else on the team had finally taken to using. He allowed the nerds, and the rest, their smiles where ever they could find them because the world was now a place where laughter wasn't heard often enough.

He counted himself lucky because, with the exception of Orion, Bartowski and his family had weathered the virus remarkably well. Devon had been on shift at the hospital and , except for a few of the doctor's college buddies, the Bartowski family had escaped unscathed. Both Ellie and Devon had been offered jobs with Team Bartowski and whenever they were needed, they left their small clinic and provided whatever help was needed.

Ellie and Sarah had insisted on a double ceremony and Casey had had the privilege of walking the women down the aisle, one on each arm. The wedding reception had filled the apartment's courtyard with people who were desperately in need of some lightness in their lives and he'd caught himself smiling on more than one occasion, even laughing out loud when three women actually got into a fist fight over the affections of Morgan Grimes, of all people.

After the devastation of the Stanhope Virus, the world had been reeling, teetering on the brink of anarchy for almost a two months until things actually began to drift towards whatever the new world could offer up as normalcy. Men, now a rare commodity, became sought after for repopulation purposes but their stranglehold on the way the world ran was effectively ended despite a few megalomaniacs who fought tooth and nail to hold onto their own perceived importance and power.

Women had inherited a world that was a generation of two away from total breakdown and were now, slowly but surely, guiding a still reeling but now ready population back towards a kinder and wiser stewardship of the planet. Chuck Bartowski, because of the interesct, which only served to bolster his amazing intellect, was in constant demand as new world powers struggled to rebuild their electronic infrastructures. Refusing to leave his wife's side for more than a few hours, he spent long hours each day in video conferences instead of granting requests to travel around the world. If Sarah had been willing, he'd have traveled but she just couldn't bring herself to trust other women around her nerd and therefore, kept him close.

"He's in some home near the ocean, about fifty miles south of Los Angeles" Sarah announced, dragging Casey from his thoughts. "How do you want to handle this?"

"We should probably use the nerd's eye view" he said, hating himself but using the nickname for the satellite that Chuck and Morgan had 'borrowed' from the Chinese government.

"Good idea, Casey" Sarah replied, her hands quickly tapping out a series of commands on the computer that was secured to the small table that folded out from the dash. "The guys will be so happy to hear that you've taken to using their name for that piece of 'Chicom' hardware they 'borrowed'."

Falling silent, the former CIA agent watched as different views of the area surrounding the location of Chuck's tracking transponder flashed on the screen, each one visible for long enough for Sarah to look for and memorize any possible problems. After five minutes, she raised her head with a look of confusion on her face.

"It's a small community and there doesn't appear to be any sign of armed guards…or many people at all" she said after switching the view to infra red.

"What about signs of extensive electronic observation devices?"

"No more than any neighborhood" Sarah said after studying yet another view of the area. "According to old records, the residence was owned by some guy named Hamill who was 'Stanhoped' and there is no record of a new owner."

"How do you want to handle this?"

"Drop me off here" she said, pointing at a spot several streets away from their target. "Give me ten minutes and then ring the front doorbell" she added, checking the guns that she'd taken to wearing on each hip.

"Shoot first and ask questions after?" Casey asked with an almost feral smile, clearly looking forward to 'rescuing' Chuck and the possible gunplay that it might require.

"Vest shots, if possible, at least until we have my husband safe. If you have to, do whatever you think is needed.

"Are you planning to follow those guidelines?" Casey asked, already sure what the answer would be.

"I'm getting my Chuck back, period!" she told him. Opening the passenger door and sliding soundlessly from the van, Sarah looked back over her shoulder, sending a silent 'be careful' to her partner before disappearing into the twilight that was begin to cover the neighborhood in shadows.

Ten minutes later, after having found and open and empty garage a few houses away, John Casey knocked on the front door of the residence that was the current location of his partner. Exercising the caution that had served him so well in the past, he stood off to the side of the door, just outside the range of the cheap video camera that had been inexpertly placed above the home's front door, his hands wrapped around twin 1911 Colts, both of them ready to offer their own special greeting, if it was needed.

"Can I help you, Mr. Casey" a young woman asked after foolishly throwing the door wide open.

"Nah" Casey answered, stepping over the now unconscious form of his greeter, the already rising knot in the center of her forehead a sure to hurt testament to his Colt's rock solid barrel. Following the muted sound of voices, he crossed the foyer and eased to a stop just outside the doorway into what he was sure would turn out to be a den. Checking the display on his wrist computer, he saw that Sarah was in place at the other door way into the room and after giving his send icon a double tap, stepped into the room with both of his guns pointed at the two uniformed women who stood on either side of a comfortable looking chair, both of them staring down at the chairs occupant, Chuck Bartowski, whose attention seemed to be focused on the rather large screen on the wall opposite him.

The sound of two hammers being drawn back caught both of the women's attention while Chuck continued to watch whatever was playing on the screen. Looking towards the other doorway, he almost smiled as he watched Sarah push three stunned looking young women towards the center of the room, her hands filled with guns that were almost perfect matches for the ones in his own. Stepping closer, he wanted to grunt and then kick him in the ass when the nerd gave him the stink eye because he was standing between him and whatever was on the screen.

"Get up, moron" Casey barked at him, his eyes and guns never wavering from the 'guards who stood to either side of the easy chair.

"Couldn't if my life depended on it, Casey. They've been doping me with something that turns my legs to jelly. "Hi honey" he added, unable to turn his head but seeing his wife out of the corner of his eye.

Without a word, Sarah Bartowski reached out with the barrel of the gun in her left hand and with a quick snap, reduced the number of women standing in front of her from three to two. In a mirror movement, her right hand shot out and the number of 'captives' who weren't unconscious dropped to one.

"Hey" both of the women standing at Chuck's side both said at the same time and before anyone could blink, the woman on the right side was flying backwards, a smoking hole in her shirt offering easy to see evidence that she had been wearing her vest.

"Shut the fuck up and move" Sarah hissed in a tone that left no doubt that if the woman didn't move in the direction that the smoking pistol pointed, she would find out first hand just how bad it felt to catch a 45 caliber slug, point blank. "get your ass over there too" she added, using the end of the still smoking barrel to push the woman in front of her towards the other woman.

"Now, who's been giving my husband injections…without my permission?" Sarah asked, her guns steady and pointed directly center mass.

The two women exchanged terrified glances before turning to point at the woman who was still struggling to catch her breath as she lay nearly motionless on the floor.

Stepping over to the whimpering woman, Sarah had just aimed both pistols at the woman's head when Chuck's voice called to her.

"Sarah…no."

"Why shouldn't I?" she asked over her shoulder, her guns never wavering.

"Because I asked?"

"You have no fucking idea how lucky you are that I love my husband" Sarah hissed at the woman at her feet before bending over and clubbing her into oblivion.

"Sarah!" Chuck yelped.

"What? I didn't shoot her and you didn't say I couldn't offer her a sleep aid" she said, slowly turning back around and looking at him with her head dipped slightly towards the floor. When Chuck didn't say anything right away, just shook his head slightly, she lifted her head and glared at the two woman who were standing across from her. "Anyone else in the house?" she asked, her guns still held rock solid in her hands.

"No ma'am" they both answered, their rigid stance and identical answers leaving little doubt that the women were military or whatever passed for military these days.

"Why is my husband here?"

"He accepted an invitation…" one of the woman spoke first and was almost instantly on the floor, the echo of another gunshot giving testament to Sarah's complete lack of patience for answers that she didn't like.

"My husband never leaves without giving me a kiss so, if I were you" she said, both of her guns now pointing at the last woman who was still on her feet, "I'd think really hard before you answer my questions. I'm bound to run out of patience and then I'll stop making vest shots. Now, why is my husband sitting anywhere except our home?"

"Orders, ma'am"

"Whose orders?"

"The Captain's" the young woman answered, fear plain too see in her eyes.

"And what Captain would that be?" Sarah asked, her patience plainly wearing thin.

"That one, ma'am" came the answer with a finger pointed towards the unconscious woman Sarah had shot and then clubbed.

"I see" Sarah replied, her eyes glancing briefly to the inert form on the floor before fixing back on the woman in front of her. "So, last question…for now. Chest or foot?" she asked, one gun pointing at each area of the woman who'd been answering her questions.

"Wh…what?"

"Chest or foot?" Sarah repeated, ignoring the look from her husband that seemed to be a mixture of geekish pride and disappointment. She refused to smile, sure that Chuck would call her on stealing and then altering a line from 'The Last Boyscout'.

"Uh, chest?" the woman answered when she realized what the offer entailed. " I, uh…" the woman stuttered and then was flying backwards when the slug impacted with her vest, sure that she'd made the best choice before blackness dragged her down, pushing her to join the rest of her team in the temporarily blissful arms of unconsciousness.

"So, what next?" Casey asked, finally speaking after enjoying the 'Sarah Show'.

"Go get the van so we can take this trash someplace for a hopefully more illuminating talk while I make sure that my husband's lips are in proper working order" she answered while moving towards Chuck as she slipped her guns back into their customary resting place.

"What?" Casey asked with a smirk.

"You heard me, John, so unless you want to stand there and watch me make out with my nerd, you should get moving" Sarah answered, lowering herself into Chuck's lap.

"Five minutes, Wal…Bartowski. Don't be playing kissey face when I get back" the big man said before slipping his own guns into their holsters as he turned towards the door and walked out of the room.

**A/N:2 **Next time…who gave the orders and just how deep is the shit that Beckman's in. Thoughts?


End file.
